The night could have been magical had the Suns decided to show up at all in a home battle with the rival Kings. They didn’t, though, so I had to settle for doubling up in a cash game and winning a few bucks in a small GPP.

It’s back to the drawing board for tonight’s massive slate – one that has a slew of elite options to consider. However, as is often the case on these huge slates, I’m wondering if it might not pay to just load up on elite value instead of forcing studs into my NBA DFS lineups.

John Wall is out tonight, so feel free to load up on Wizards options. They’re on the road without their best player, but they’re facing a Hawks team that isn’t very good and pushes the pace (#1 in the NBA).

That should lead to DFS goodness for at least some Washington options, assuming they are the trappy corpses they often tend to be. I don’t mind rolling the dice with at least Tomas, though, seeing as he’s dirt cheap and I do get one score dropped over at FanDuel.

PG: Kyle Lowry – Toronto Raptors ($8k)

I really like Stephen Curry tonight and Russell Westbrook also has a good matchup, but why pay up when I can get elite value via Lowry?

He smashed the Sixers to the tune of 44 fantasy points earlier this year and this game projects to be one of the best NBA DFS spots of the entire slate. Lowry also happens to crush on the road for some reason (+6 fantasy points per game) and he’s a terrific price for his high floor and solid upside.

SG: Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks ($7.2k)

Doncic was solid with 34 fantasy points last night, reminding us all yet again that he’s a rock solid option even when he’s not fully blowing up.

I think he has a chance to do that tonight, however, as he’ll be facing a bad Pelicans defense that likes to push the pace. This is one of the best games for DFS production, too, so whether you’re on board with Luka or not, you may want a share or three in this game.

SG: Malik Beasley – Denver Nuggets ($3.8k)

Gary Harris is out again and Will Barton remains on the shelf, so there should be run for a few Denver wing players. Beasley is one of them, as he logged 26 minutes in his last game and is cheap enough to roll the dice on.

Beasley is not easy to trust, but his matchup with the Magic isn’t bad and he did pop off for 30 fantasy points just three games ago. If the minutes are there, Beasley is not a bad GPP gamble.

The hope would be he and Tomas can battle it out for that “low score dropped” spot, with one of them delivering a solid line.

SF: Paul George – Oklahoma City Thunder ($8.3k)

I know PG-13 doesn’t have quite as much upside with a healthy Westbrook back on the floor, but he’s still OKC’s number two scoring option and he tends to offer upside as a rebounder and with his peripherals.

George can still pop off at any moment and he feels like an insane value on a night where small forward is absurdly loaded. With everyone probably looking to get shares of The Greek Freak, Kevin Durant, LeBron James and/or Kawhi Leonard, it might make sense to just save some cash and roll out PG-13.

This isn’t the sexiest play of the lot, but PG-13 averages 45 fantasy points per contest and is in a solid DFS spot against the Nets.

SF: Davis Bertans – San Antonio Spurs ($3.5k)

I actually like Tomas and Malik a bit tonight, so this is my true punt on this slate. It’s never a bad idea to piece together a GPP lineup that really aims high, but I often get trapped into using too many spares as I try to load up on studs.

This lineup is taking a chance on three cheap players, but I’m seeking elite value with intermediate plays instead of forcing in the top-priced options.

Bertans isn’t even a bad try, either. He’s getting good run right now and could easily end up popping off against the Lakers. L.A. has improved defensively this year, but they still run the league’s 4th fastest pace.

There will be opportunities for the Spurs in this one and I’m not spending to see if Bertans can help me out.

PF: Aaron Gordon – Orlando Magic ($7.3k)

I note the fear of an Aaron Gordon trap game, seeing as he’s been good for a while. His erratic nature does make him risky, but his immense upside and recent performance also suggests he’s just too cheap right now.

Gordon can be a peripherals monster and he’ll have a solid matchup at home against a Nuggets team that traditionally isn’t quite as cohesive on the road. Gordon also tends to play a little bit better at the Amway Center and fared well (36 fantasy points) in his previous meeting with Denver earlier this year.

Anthony Davis is the top PF on this slate, but I’m not so sure you need to invest that much cash in one guy tonight.

PF: LaMarcus Aldridge – San Antonio Spurs ($8k)

Ridge was a spare last night, but he has a great matchup in front of him – one that he dominated earlier in the year. This still sets up nicely for Aldridge and the rest of the Spurs and it also gives you two late-game hammers.

Most people will be on the Lakers in this one, and rightfully so. You just need Bertans to show a little life and Ridge to get back to what he does best.

C: Karl-Anthony Towns – Minnesota Timberwolves ($9.6k)

You can talk me into a slew of centers. Joel Embiid, Nikola Jokic and a handful of others are worth paying up for, DeAndre Jordan is a terrific middle of the road options and guys like Jonas Valanciunas and Kevon Looney are shaping up to be stellar punts.

But KAT can be a monster and tonight he’s at home against the Hornets. This game is projected to be pretty high-scoring and with a +4.5 point spread, it also has the potential to stay close.

Cody Zeller is all that’s in the way of a huge game for Towns, so I’ll take a shot at him being one of the top performers of the night.

Summary

I get the allure of paying for Russ, Giannis, Brow and so many others tonight, but by fading those guys I get six players who can easily deliver high level production. I’m also taking chances on these other value plays, but there is a lot of logic behind them as well.

This is a tournament team, to be sure. Fading all of the top options is probably not the best idea in cash games, but in tourneys most of those big names are going to have pretty high ownership.

If my pivots pan out, though, this lineup could be en fuego as the night comes to a close.

Even if you’re not with me at every position, hopefully I shed some light in a good way and help you finish your lineup building process. Good luck tonight and enjoy the games!

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